I nominate Jessica Lynch for a Congressional Medal of Honor

Discussion in 'Politics' started by OPTIONAL777, Apr 3, 2003.

  1. It's wonderful to hear something that finally makes me proud to be an American. Both her bravery and the bravery of her rescuers are truly inspiring. One thing that's stuck in my head since the first injured soldiers spoke to the press was one American marine who said he was out there fighting to keep his friends alive, and there is nothing more noble than that, IMO.

    I hope she recovers quickly and gets the recognition she deserves for serving her country.


    And right now I'm going to launch a pre-emtptive "fuck you" at Mondo and his many aliases, even though I've got him on Ignore and don't care to read his tripe.
     
    #11     Apr 3, 2003
  2. I gotta agree with ya on this, Brother Bung...
     
    #12     Apr 3, 2003
  3. 'She Was Fighting to the Death'
    Details Emerging of W. Va. Soldier's Capture and Rescue

    By Susan Schmidt and Vernon Loeb
    Washington Post Staff Writers
    Thursday, April 3, 2003; Page A01


    Pfc. Jessica Lynch, rescued Tuesday from an Iraqi hospital, fought fiercely and shot several enemy soldiers after Iraqi forces ambushed the Army's 507th Ordnance Maintenance Company, firing her weapon until she ran out of ammunition, U.S. officials said yesterday.

    Lynch, a 19-year-old supply clerk, continued firing at the Iraqis even after she sustained multiple gunshot wounds and watched several other soldiers in her unit die around her in fighting March 23, one official said. The ambush took place after a 507th convoy, supporting the advancing 3rd Infantry Division, took a wrong turn near the southern city of Nasiriyah.

    "She was fighting to the death," the official said. "She did not want to be taken alive."

    Lynch was also stabbed when Iraqi forces closed in on her position, the official said, noting that initial intelligence reports indicated that she had been stabbed to death. No official gave any indication yesterday, however, that Lynch's wounds had been life-threatening.

    Several officials cautioned that the precise sequence of events is still being determined, and that further information will emerge as Lynch is debriefed. Reports thus far are based on battlefield intelligence, they said, which comes from monitored communications and from Iraqi sources in Nasiriyah whose reliability has yet to be assessed. Pentagon officials said they had heard "rumors" of Lynch's heroics but had no confirmation.

    There was no immediate indication whether Lynch's fellow soldiers killed in the ambush were among the 11 bodies found by the Special Operations commandos who rescued Lynch at Saddam Hussein Hospital in Nasiriyah. U.S. officials said that at least some of the bodies are believed to be those of U.S. servicemen. Two were found in the hospital's morgue, and nine were found in shallow graves on the grounds outside.

    Seven soldiers from the 507th are still listed as missing in action following the ambush. Five others, four men and a woman, were taken captive after the attack. Video footage of the five has been shown on Iraqi television, along with grisly pictures of at least four soldiers killed in the battle.

    Lynch, of Palestine, W.Va., arrived yesterday at a U.S. military hospital in Germany. She was in "stable" condition, with broken arms and a broken leg in addition to the gunshot and stab wounds, sources said. Other sources said both legs and one arm were broken. Victoria Clarke, a Pentagon spokeswoman, gave no specifics of Lynch's condition, telling reporters only that she is "in good spirits and being treated for injuries."

    But one military officer briefed on her condition said that while Lynch was conscious and able to communicate with the U.S. commandos who rescued her, "she was pretty messed up." Last night Lynch spoke by telephone with her parents, who said she was in good spirits, but hungry and in pain.

    "Talk about spunk!" said Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), whom military officials had briefed on the rescue. "She just persevered. It takes that and a tremendous faith that your country is going to come and get you."

    One Army official said that it could be some time before Lynch is reunited with her family, since experience with those taken prisoner since the Vietnam War indicates that soldiers held in captivity need time to "decompress" and reflect on their ordeal with the help of medical professionals.

    "It's real important to have decompression time before they get back with their families to assure them that they served their country honorably," the official said. "She'll meet with Survival, Escape, Resistance and Evasion psychologists. These are medical experts in dealing with this type of things."

    At Central Command headquarters in Qatar, Brig. Gen. Vincent Brooks showed a brief night-vision video clip of commandos rushing Lynch, on a stretcher, to a Black Hawk helicopter. Later, television networks showed footage of her arriving in Germany.

    One intriguing account of Lynch's captivity came from an unidentified Iraqi pharmacist at Saddam Hussein Hospital who told Sky News, a British network, that he had cared for her and heard her crying about wanting to be reunited with her family.

    "She said every time, about wanting to go home," said the pharmacist, who was filmed at the hospital wearing a white medical coat over a black T-shirt. "She knew that the American Army and the British were on the other side of the [Euphrates] river in Nasiriyah city. . . . She said, 'Maybe this minute the American Army [will] come and get me.' " The only injuries the pharmacist said he was aware of were to Lynch's leg, but there was no way to evaluate his statement.

    Lynch's rescue at midnight local time Tuesday was a classic Special Operations raid, with U.S. commandos in Black Hawk helicopters engaging Iraqi forces on their way in and out of the medical compound, defense officials said.

    Acting on information from CIA operatives, they said, a Special Operations force of Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and Air Force combat controllers touched down in blacked-out conditions. An AC-130 gunship, able to fire 1,800 rounds a minute from its 25mm cannon, circled overhead, as did a reconnaissance aircraft providing video imagery of the operation as it unfolded.

    "There was shooting going in, there was some shooting going out," said one military officer briefed on the operation. "It was not intensive. There was no shooting in the building, but it was hairy, because no one knew what to expect. When they got inside, I don't think there was any resistance. It was fairly abandoned."

    Meanwhile, U.S. Marines advanced in Nasiriyah to divert whatever Iraqi forces might still have been in the area.

    The officer said that Special Operations forces found what looked like a "prototype" Iraqi torture chamber in the hospital's basement, with batteries and metal prods.

    Briefing reporters at Central Command headquarters, Brooks said the hospital apparently was being used as a military command post. Commandos whisked Lynch to the Black Hawk helicopter that had landed inside the hospital compound, he said, while others remained behind to clear the hospital.

    The announcement of the raid was delayed for more than an hour because some U.S. troops were on the ground longer than anticipated, Brooks said. "We wanted to preserve the safety of the forces," he said.
     
    #13     Apr 3, 2003
  4. .....never been shot.....been stabbed and broke my leg....

    But she was shot several times....broker several bones(2 legs and on arm)....and was stabbed!!!!!!........Man or woman....this is one tough mother fucker!...
     
    #14     Apr 3, 2003
  5. they'll probably rename a wing of the capitol after her. this one's got the media's full blessing - plays to the soccer moms as well as the laptop bombardiers and the window-sticker patriots, no downside to it.

    the politicians will be tripping over themselves for camera time with her.
     
    #15     Apr 3, 2003
  6. This is a good one Fonsy...

    YES, we should hand out an award to a participant in an aggressive (illegal? That's debatable) attack on a sovereign nation...
    The reason why is that the nation the participant is from is issuing the award and the nation the participant is a citizen of sanctioned the conflict.

    And YES, if Saudi Arabia sanctioned the attack on the World Trade Centers, and they recruited and trained Mohammed Atta, and their training led to the successful mission (which it did), and Atta was injured in the carrying out of that act (he did die... lucky for him or the end would be slightly longer for Mo), then there is every reason for the Saudi family to bestow such an honor to Atta's family. I'm sure they'd be proud to know that Atta completed his mission, as instructed by his country. But then, they may have to move from Saudi Arabia because...

    then we can have every reason to go and kick the shit out of Saudi Arabia while our forces are all warmed up and in the neighborhood. And we can swing through Syria on the way there!!!
     
    #16     Apr 3, 2003
  7. She was doing her job and defending herself and her unit. That is what they are trained to do during basic training. Unfortunately, there are a lot of other soldiers who have fought just as valiantly but aren't here today to speak about it.

    She definitely deserves to be commended for performing her job to the best of her ability under extreme duress.

    Regardless of the metal, she's already got a book deal lined up in the future and will probably pocket a few hundred grand from various sources when all is said and done.

    That's one tough woman!
     
    #17     Apr 3, 2003
  8. Ok, she fits the above criterea I suppose, but how's she any different from the rest of her company? How do we know they weren't fighting to the death? Why is the rest of her company not getting nominated for awards?
     
    #18     Apr 3, 2003
  9. give you one guess...
     
    #19     Apr 3, 2003
  10. If folks can't tell the difference between a 19 year old boy, and a 19 year old girl.....Heaven help the population cycle.

    Hillary will push for a medal for her, no question.
     
    #20     Apr 3, 2003